Dollar, Robert (1844-1932)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1932 May 18 p. 1

Birth date: 1844 Mar 20

text of obituary:

"Skipper of Many Seas" Passes at Advanced Age.

San Rafael, Calif. — Capt. Robt. Dollar, famous shipper and owner of the Dollar Steamship company, quietly journeyed to his last reward Monday, May 16, at the age of 88 years. Capt. Dollar, whose philosophy was always that hard work is the foundation of success and who believed that one need never worry "about his ships coming in as long as he keeps sending them out" became known as the "Grand Old Man of the Pacific," because of his activities in fostering commercial relations with China and the Far East in general. As he saw his shipping business grow beyond all expectations, he commented that "I often think it is expanding too fast, but the curtailment of its present quite a problem as the business appears to demand expansion."

Captain Dollar purchased his first ship, "Newsboy," a small tub of 300 tons, as an adjunct to his lumbering operations in California, and made his first venture in the China trade with the "Arab," a 6,500 ton steamer,in 1901. By 1921 the Dollar Steamship company had an imposing fleet and nineteen offices in various parts of the world, including Japan, China, the Philippines, Straits Settlements, India, Russia and Greece.

He was born in Falkirk, Scotland, March 20, 1844. He went to work as a boy in the shipyards and at the age of 14, with his father and brothers, went to Quebec, Canada, and obtained work in a stove factory at six dollars a month.